A Journey With Pulsar 150 Classic; Ownership Review

It was all started back in 1999 when Hero Honda introduced CBZ in the market, Hero Honda in a way was defying their own brand image which they had created with their frugal bikes like Hero Honda CD100 and promoted them with a tagline- Fill It Shut It And Forget It.

That was a time when people had a clear notion in their minds that performance only belongs to 2- Stroke bikes and 4- Stroke motorcycles are meant for commute and for excellent fuel economy. And they were right by all means as the time belonged to some hardcore 2- Strokers like Yamaha RX100, Kawasaki RTZ KB 125, Suzuki Shogun and Yamaha RD350. Amidst this established mindset Hero Honda launched CBZ as 4- stroke performance machine, a beautiful piece of art, big bike running almost silently with different notes altogether as compared to 2- stroke loud bikes.

Almost instantly CBZ became a hit making people realize that 4- stroke bikes can also be fun. CBZ ruled the Indian roads undisputedly till Suzuki came into play with TVS launching another famous machine the TVS Suzuki Fiero in year 2000. Bajaj was keeping silent and watching the whole evolutionary process of Indian automobile industry very closely. Very few people were knowing that Bajaj was actually working on a very ambitious project. Bajaj which was known for their scooters and in fact was market leader had 2- stroke motorcycle range developed and marketed under Japanese partner Kawasaki. It was speculated that following the trend Bajaj would also launch some 4- stroke performance bike under Kawasaki marque but Bajaj was undergoing a very bold step developing a 4- stroke performance bike started from the drawing board on their own, they were developing a brand new bike in their own facility.

Bajaj launched a newly developed bike manufactured INDI-genously in 2001 by brand name "Pulsar" surprisingly there were two variants of Pulsar introduced, one with 178.61cc engine Pulsar 180 and the other with 143.91cc engine Pulsar 150. Both the Pulsars were identical and could only be distinguished by the decals on the tail piece mentioning 150 or 180. Apart from this minute detail one could also make out the difference from the fattier rear tyre of Pulsar 180 with a little flat handle bar.

Bajaj had also marketed these bold products through bold T.V advertisement highlighting the macho and masculine brand image of Pulsar with tagline- Definitely Male Both the Pulsars are now popularly known as Pulsar Classics as the brand Pulsar grew tremendously and still tops the charts with some fantastic variants. The Pulsar 180 was actually developed to lock horns with CBZ and Fiero as both of them were having 150cc engine and Bajaj tried to outrun all of its competition with sheer power and performance of Pulsar 180 and to a certain level Bajaj succeeded in their strategy.

However Pulsar 150 Classic was a little lower in power and performance than CBZ but actually it outruns the CBZ sales due to its value for money proposition. Still remember that after waiting for two gruesome years I bought Pulsar 150 Classic in 2003 for myself. Those two years were sufficient to made my mind and there were points that affected my buying decision:

* Bajaj product (ought to be reliable as their scooters)
* Pulsar 150 Classic was Rs 10000/- cheaper than CBZ
* Being made in India Bajaj product spares and after sales would be cheap
* Better mileage with almost same performance as of CBZ Color, Style & Design:

I chose silver color as it appealed me more and I am glad I made a right decision as silver color neither faded away nor it attracted scratches.

The design of Pulsar Classic duos were very classy and ahead of its time that is the reason why Pulsars are continued more or less with same design elements till date. The special feature of Pulsar Classic was its prominent round headlight, it was a perfect match with the large and bulbous 18 liter fuel tank.


Ergonomics:

The ergonomics of the Pulsar 150 Classic is perfect for both city riding and long riding conditions. The seat of the bike is comfortable and again it is one of the parts still used in current generation Pulsar marque. Engine & Gearbox:

The 143.91cc air cooled 4-stroke engine of Pulsar 150 Classic is punchier and it feels more torquier than the lately launched Dtsi version of Pulsar 150 which were also known as Pulsar 150 UG1. The exhaust sound of the bike is more throaty and adds a whole lot of attitude to the bike.

The Gearbox and transmission of Pulsar 150 classic is very rough and notchy, in fact one has to get habitual for this gearbox to time it perfectly before cogging the gear. The current generation gearbox of Bajaj motorcycles are way better than Pulsar classics. Still I don't understand why every time I change the engine oil and clutch plates the gearbox starts behaving nicely but this pleasant feeling doesn't last longer. Either the gearbox eats up the clutch plates and engine oil real quick or its just me.

Riding Dynamics:

Still remember my 500 Kms ride with pillion on board on NH12 from Bhopal to Kiratpur via Itarsi (to and fro), the ride was awesome with single brake at Kiratpur and couple of incidents that lend us testing the brakes and the cornering ability of the bike. While riding at high speed we came to a steep and blunt corner and I decided to corner it at a fairly high speed and suddenly realized that the bike would not take it. All thanks to the old style swingarm which is devoid of rectangular box making cornering and high speed stability limited.

The Pulsar 150 Classic came with MRF Zapper tyres which were very efficient in all sorts of climatic conditions. The front tyre used to come with 2.75 X 18 while the rear tyre was not as fat as of CBZ and used to come with 3.00 X 18 size. Brakes, Suspensions And Mileage:

The Pulsar 150 Classic was featured with front disc brake and rear drum brakes, the front disc brake was made up by "KBX" and proved great in efficiency and durability. The front disc brake is still working just fine on my Pulsar.

The front suspension of the Pulsar Classic is telescopic type where as the rear suspensions are adjustable spring loaded hydraulic. Both front and rear suspensions are of good quality, they do perfectly what they are suppose to do. As far as durability is concerned my Pulsar 150 Classic still has both front and rear shockups in stock condition, they never require any sort of repair till day and performing just fine.

The fuel economy of the Pulsar 150 Classic is not as good as its Dtsi sibling but it is ok with the kind of performance and fun it delivers. Overall I still receive 40-45 Kmpl mileage from my bike, with which I am more than content.

Highs (+)

  • The classic stature
  • Durability
  • Masculine styling

Sighs (-)

  • Rough and Notchy Gearbox
  • Drive chain tends to loosen
  • Lack of rectangular box swingarm
  • Non water tight fuel tank latch.
  • Water tends to log inside the exhaust pipe resulting rusting and permanent damage
  • Lack of OE spare parts availability

Final Words:

The Pulsar 150 Classic has gained the title "classic" a little early probably due to the rapid development in the brand Pulsar. It is really fun to ride the bike and I personally like it more than its Dtsi variants. There are some drawbacks in the Pulsar classic which are evident and inevitable due to its being an early development stage model. Bajaj has humongously evolved the brand Pulsar, still the Classic would remain the "Classic" forever.

Photographs By: Ahmed Faraz
Text By: Farhan Kashif
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